Video 6:13
Quad bike accidents spark safety concerns

Lauren Day
Fri 26 Apr 2013, 8:27 PM AEST

Four-wheeled fun - but at what risk?

Transcript

DANIELLE PARRY, PRESENTER: Quad bikes are gaining popularity in the Northern Territory for work, play and sport. The Territory's wild landscapes and tough terrain make them an essential part of daily life for some, and an adrenaline rush for others. But a spate of accidents has raised concerns over the regulation of the vehicles. Earlier this month, a man suffered a fractured skull after crashing his quad bike in Darwin's rural area, and police are planning an operation to crack down on risky quad bike use during the dry season. Lauren Day reports.

LAUREN DAY, REPORTER: Revving, roaring and ripping up the red dirt. Quad biking is a sport for those with an adrenalin lust and fear shortage.

HAYDEN BENNETT, RIDER: I just always liked them. My dad put me on one when I was a little kid and yeah, just gone from there. There an adrenalin rush kind of thing when you start racing and the gate drops it's just all adrenalin so I like that, it's good.

LAUREN DAY: In Darwin's rural area, riders are gearing up for another season of racing. An increasing number of enthusiasts are taking to the track and club president Andrew Woods says enjoying the thrill of the race safely is the priority.

ANDREW WOODS, TERRITORY QUAD ASSOCIATION: Everybody here's got to be licensed and bikes get scrutineered. The juniors through to the seniors have got to do the five hours every year of training and have log books and all that sort of stuff - it's very controlled here. Not allowed to ride their race quads outside this facility, like on the road or anywhere like that so yeah, it's pretty well policed by us.

LAUREN DAY: But the vehicle is gaining a bad reputation off the track.

ANDREW WOODS, TERRITORY QUAD ASSOCIATION: We can't control that. We try and teach like our little kids here and all that about safety - chest plates, helmets, goggles, all that sort of stuff, but you can't, we can't control the public - that's the worst bit.

LAUREN DAY: 19 Australians died in quad bike accidents last year and dozens were seriously injured. Territorians contributed to those numbers.

CRAIG GARRAWAY, ST JOHN AMBULANCE: We go to probably a serious one every second weekend out in the Gunn Point area but you know there's probably one or two happening every weekend. There's a lot of quad bikes and a lot of motorbikes out that area and a lot of people getting hurt.

PROF. RAPHAEL GRZEBIETA, UNSW ROAD SAFETY RESEARCHER: Ranges from small injuries where you get a strained sprain but all the way through to breaking a bone, to spinal injuries, serious head injuries, predominantly serious head injuries and thorax injuries and death.

LAUREN DAY: Outside of the regulated races, quad lovers can enjoy the bikes on private property without helmets, protective gear or licences. But it's illegal to drive them in public places without a conditional registration.

SIMON SAUNDERS, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT: You can only register a quad bike for work-related purposes only. That registration is conditional and it restricts the vehicles to only being used in certain locations, has speed restrictions and things like that and other safety provisions.

LAUREN DAY: And it's not hard to find people flouting the rules. 7.30 NT captured these images on Gunn Point Road within minutes of arriving. We showed our footage to the Department of Transport.

SIMON SAUNDERS, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT: These type of vehicles are non-complying vehicles - the vehicles themselves don't meet the national safety standard for registrations. They're travelling there down the edge of the road and that's part of the road reserve so that's considered part of the road so to operate and drive a vehicle in that area it would need to be registered.

LAUREN DAY: But for every rider doing the wrong thing, many others rely on quads to get by.

DARRYL YESBERG, CATTLE EXPORT YARDS: Oh I don't think we'd be able to do it any other way really, just due to the fact that it's so wet and you just can't get around. It's just yeah, it's just getting bogged 24-hours-a-day really.

LAUREN DAY: On Top End terrain, where the wild things are, quad bikes play an essential role in daily life.

DARRYL YESBERG, CATTLE EXPORT YARDS: Mainly just checking fences, wet season time for getting around the paddocks and for mustering cattle into the yards, out of the paddocks.

LAUREN DAY: But they're also the leading cause of death on Australian farms.

I don't think there's too much of a problem with wearing a helmet. If any of my staff ride a bike I make sure they wear a helmet, especially if they're a little bit inexperienced. But yeah look, I just think it comes down to sort of taking your time and being a bit aware of where you are and the situation you're in.

LAUREN DAY: As the number of accidents rises, a team of researchers is working to develop performance standards and a safety star rating for quads, and there are calls for new regulations.

PROF. RAPHAEL GRZEBIETA, UNSW ROAD SAFETY RESEARCHER: Well I'd like to see that helmets are mandatory. I'd also like to see that no one under the age of 16 is allowed on a quad bike and also I think that training should be mandatory.

LAUREN DAY: There's also a national push to require rollbars on quad bikes - a move many users are uncertain about.

DARRYL YESBERG, CATTLE EXPORT YARDS: That could be a good thing and a bad thing. Where they're situated I think could be a bit of a risk when you're going under low-lying trees or something like that and yeah they could save people's lives as well so there is a plus as well I suppose.

LAUREN DAY: Fans of the four-wheelers say common sense and education - rather than regulation - are key.

ANDREW WOODS, TERRITORY QUAD ASSOCIATION: Let's put it this way - it's just like motor cars - people drive motor cars have got licences, some of them take shortcuts, drink drive, all the rest of it. Is it going to curve it? Who knows.